Over the years, it has come to be a necessary component of corporate strategy to devise emergency action plans. The Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska and the Phillips Petroleum explosion in Houston, Tex. have shown many companies that a great need exists for emergency action plans. When an emergency condition occurs, it is necessary to respond both to the public and to public authorities as quickly, efficiently, and accurately as possible. This task becomes greatly hampered by inadequate emergency action plans.
In the past, emergency action plans have been devised that provide large notebooks full of information. Many times, emergency action plans are up to 500 pages in length. Once such lengthy emergency action plans are developed, they are seldom, if ever, changed to reflect new or different situations. Also, when the emergency action plan is a lengthy description in a notebook, the emergency condition, in itself, impedes ones ability to accurately and efficiently carry out the emergency procedures detailed in the notebook. Too often, such notebooks remain buried on the desks of persons on the emergency action teams. These emergency procedures, since they are not used very often, are seldom reviewed for accuracy or for necessity. Many times, personnel changes make it very difficult to keep an updated emergency action plan. If the individual in charge of an emergency action procedure leaves the company, then a substitute may not be found until an emergency actually occurs. Often, the position as an emergency team leader is not included in one's job description and one only learns of the position after the emergency occurs.
Many times, individuals move up in the corporation so as to assume new positions. When the emergency action procedures are based upon the names of the individuals, or their titles, such a change in position can either eliminate the team leader's authority or change that authority substantially. As such, when an emergency procedure is necessary, these prior written emergency procedure manuals are outdated and ineffective. Since they are outdated, the procedures stated therein are generally ineffective and must be corrected during times of emergency procedures. It is imperative that one emergency action team not work at cross-purposes with or in duplicity with another emergency action team. Without the proper emergency action plan, such cross purposes and duplicity are inherent.
In the case of recent emergency procedures, it is imperative that one emergency action team realize its authority and position with respect to other emergency action teams. When the emergency procedures are simply reflected in the pages of a notebook, the interrelationships between the emergency action teams are not very apparent. Oftentimes, one emergency action team will assume authority over another team when actually the positions of authority should have been reversed. Furthermore, the interactions between the various teams are not very apparent when simply stated in notebook format. Therefore, when an emergency occurs, and if the emergency procedures are reflected in the emergency procedures notebook of a company, the actual interrelationships of the emergency action teams may be lost, confused, or seen unduly complex.
Recently, Congress has adopted many new laws in an effort to control the spillage of oil in offshore waters and the spillage of contaminants on land. Further enactments have spurred the efforts to control the accidental dispersing of hazardous waste. New legislation will make greater effort to prevent the type of explosion that took many lives in the Phillips Petroleum accident in Houston, Tex.
It has long been known that color-coding can emphasize and deemphasize the significance of the items to which the color coding is attached. In the past, it would have been possible to design emergency action plans on color-coded charts. Unfortunately, the creation of a color-coded chart is an extremely expensive printing job. If a four color printing process is required for the color-coded emergency action plan, then, in the past, the cost for creating the chart would have been excessive. Additionally, typesetting and reformatting of the presses would be necessary whenever an individual changed positions, left the company, or whenever the emergency action procedure was changed. Clearly, in the past, the ability to produce charts for emergency action plans has been seriously impeded by the inability to quickly, easily, and inexpensively illustrate and convey information in color.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an emergency action plan display that quickly and easily conveys the duties to be performed by emergency action teams during times of emergency.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergency action plan display in which the relative importance of the duties to be performed are color-coded.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an emergency action plan display in which the information for external resources and internal communication can be quickly and easily changed, altered, or removed from the display.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an emergency action plan display that quickly conveys the information necessary concerning the interrelationships of the various emergency action teams.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an emergency action plan display that can be produced quickly, easily and in multiple copies.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an emergency action plan display that clearly identifies physical location and groups of personnel.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.